The Frances Clarke Sayers Lecture | Celebrating the best in today's children's literature

The Frances Clarke Sayers Lecture is an annual UCLA event that features the best of today's award-winning authors and illustrators of children's literature. For 2020, its honored to present Matt de la Peña. He is the New York Times Bestselling, Newbery Medal-winning author of seven young adult novels (including Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here, and Superman: Dawnbreaker) and five picture books (including Love and Last Stop on Market Street). In 2016 he was awarded the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Award. Matt received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific where he attended school on a full basketball scholarship. In 2019 Matt was given an honorary doctorate from UOP. de la Peña currently lives in Brooklyn NY. He teaches creative writing and visits schools and colleges throughout the country.

*The New York Times followed Matt into Tucson High School after his book was banned from the curriculum (along with the work of several other Hispanic authors). Read article here.

*Matt shares his views on the saving powers of literacy and creativity in an NPR essay. Read essay here.